Who is Jesus and Why does his Death and Resurrection Matter to Us—R Fritz
Somebody asked me some questions about who Jesus is. I am writing about the answers to the questions. We need to know who Jesus is to understand why he came to earth. 1 Timothy 3:16 spells out Jesus’s story in one sentence but I will go into more details and says “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” This says God was manifest as Jesus in the flesh and what Jesus did on earth. 1 John 5:20 says “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us understanding, that we may know him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.” This also says Jesus is God. I will give one more. John 10:30-31 says and this is Jesus speaking “I and my Father are one.” Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.” Jesus is telling the Jews he is God and that is why they wanted to stone him for blasphemy. For those that believe Jesus is not God, you can now show people the truth. There are more verses that say the same thing.
God had a plan of having Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden taking care of the garden with only one rule and commanding that they can eat from every tree but one, the tree of knowledge of good and evil and if they did, they shall surely die. This is where the serpent (Satan) persuaded Adam and Eve to eat from the forbidden tree and Satan taught Adam and Eve to sin by disobeying God. God removed both Adam and Eve and sent them into the world because of sin.
Animal sacrifices were a temporary covering for sin. It was a requirement by God’s law to shed blood for the forgiveness of sin. There were numerous rules such as the animal having to be spotless (perfect). This was the perfect sacrifice for our sins in that the animals did not sin and were a substitute for our sin and temporary sacrifice for our sins. The High priest would take two goats for a sin offering where one goat was sacrificed and the blood sprinkled on the mercy seat for atonement. The other goat was prayed over putting all their transgressions and all their sins put on the head of the goat and sent into the wilderness. God had procedures that sacrifices had to be done a certain way. This was a temporary situation where many animals were sacrificed.
People ask why did God send Jesus. The answers are first God actually was showing himself, his nature, and character through Jesus. Jesus talked about children and the family in terms he used. Jesus also talked about the relationship with his Father. Things we could relate to. Jesus was sent to be the last sacrifice for our sins with no spot or blemish or sin just like the animals that were used before him. Sin is a blot on our soul. The other reason is the Father is God. God could not go himself because God is a Spirit. It had to be a human that paid the price and had to be born as a human but there is no human that is sin-free. That’s why God sent himself to earth as Jesus (God’s son) and had to go through life as any human would but he was God. He is an example that we should follow. As Jesus (God’s son) he was less than God because he was an earthly son. It is like our human father-son relationship. Hebrews 2:9 says “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.” Jesus was less than God because of the flesh, being a man, and having to suffer death like us. It was temporary because he came back overcoming death for all of us and going back to God.
Jesus was also showing us to obey God, in his case was his Father. Jesus said I can only do what my Father says in John 5:18-19 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing for himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.” Jesus says he can do nothing for himself but only what the Father shows him.
Jesus’s death and resurrection was the turning point for those that choose Jesus and obey Him through the Holy Spirit. The decision we make and apply all our life is believing in Jesus Christ and by believing, we obey whatever Jesus (the Son) says just like Jesus did with his Father (God). Acts 5:29-32 says “Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” Our belief (being our actions) will take us to eternal life with Jesus. The Holy Spirit was sent as the Comforter to teach all things and give peace. That resurrection was God’s way of us choosing to be with Jesus Christ forever. It required testing to see if we have repented from sin and are willing to obey God. Because we chose a life with sin, we lived in darkness away from God, we did not know any better.
It is time for those reading this that are still in darkness to step out and come into the “light.” That “light” is the glorious light of Jesus Christ. It is a matter of believing in Jesus Christ and trusting him to have that life on earth with the Holy Spirit living in us and answering our questions. God Bless.
